Today's busy information worker may have multiple mobile devices all capable of working with data. As an example a traveler may have two mobile devices, such as a smart phone and a laptop computer. The smart phone and laptop computer may both be capable of manipulating and presenting the traveler with the same data, such as e-mail. While the smart phone and laptop computer may be capable of performing the same tasks, under various circumstances the user may prefer to work with one device over the other. For example, travelers may find occasionally checking e-mail on a smart phone useful, but may feel more productive doing involved work or reading on a laptop computer due to the laptop computer's generally larger screen and larger keyboard.
A common problem faced by many travelers involves synchronizing multiple mobile device data sets with a central database server when working in locations where all of the traveler's mobile devices may not have connectivity. As an example, a traveler may sync their laptop computer and smart phone with an e-mail exchange server prior to boarding an airplane, such that the laptop computer and smart phone are both up to date with respect to sent and received e-mail. The traveler may work on the airplane writing and answering e-mails on the laptop computer. Should the traveler write several e-mails on their laptop computer, which may be isolated from a network connection while in flight, those drafted e-mails may be held in a queue for transmission to the e-mail exchange server when a network connection becomes available. The traveler's laptop computer and smart phone would then be out of sync in terms of e-mail because the laptop computer would contain drafted e-mails which the smart phone does not. Upon landing, the traveler's smart phone may connect to a cellular data network and download the latest e-mail from the e-mail exchange server. The traveler may use their smart phone to write and answer e-mails in the airport, and the cellular data network connection may enable the smart phone and server to remain updated in terms of e-mail. However, the laptop computer will remain out of sync both in terms of both incoming and the outgoing e-mail until it establishes a network connection. The traveler may now be faced with a data synchronization problem because the laptop computer, smart phone, and e-mail exchange server may all contain different e-mail data sets. This data synchronization problem may cause the traveler frustration and hinder traveler productivity.